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Can N95 Masks Be Disinfected?
With the novel coronavirus possibly transmitted via aerosols, once dental practices reopen will dentists need to wear N95 masks as the standard of care? N95 masks effectively filter airborne particles and have typically been recommended in dental settings only when treating patients with a known infectious disease. Now in short supply due to overwhelming need by health care workers on the frontlines of treating patients with COVID-19, the possibility of disinfecting these masks has been raised.
New research at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, shows that dry heat ovens can effectively disinfect N95 masks without degrading their structure or quality of their fit. This discovery could increase the supply of N95 masks by a factor of five, according lead author Kenneth R. Shroyer, MD, PhD.
Ms Machado, my name is Wayne Simmons, DMD. I am a Prosthodontist , 45 years in practice. I am involved in the launch of a new series of products which our company believes will set a new standard for dental hygiene and equally important – office disinfection and sanitation for all surfaces, instrument pre-Sterilization- in waterline elimination and prevention of Biofilms – air water syringes, Handpiece aerosols, and of course hand washing at any station.
This involves no chemicals and is completely ‘green’ . Our products create AO ( aqueous ozone) on site and on demand. We have office, industrial and personal use products.
As you are aware- a great boost to our immune systems is the lowering of the pathogenic thresholds of biofilm pathogens – orally. Abnormally high pathogens present due to overall and price specific dental disease places a 23/7 burden on an individual’s immune system. This means that dental medicine is on the frontline of internal medicine to mitigate local AND systemic inflammatory disease.
If you have a further interest in this new technology , now available, feel free to contact
All the best
I am interested. Please send additional info.
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I would like more information.
Hello Dr. Montgomery,
I would suggest reading the original study here: https://news.stonybrook.edu/sb_medicine/dry-heat-ovens-can-effectively-disinfect-n95-masks/ and then you can reach out to the study author with questions. Thank you for reading Decisions in Dentistry.
Warmly, Kristen Machado